Deep-well-drilling apparatus



W. L. CHILDS ET AL DEEP WELL DRILLING APPARATUS Filed D60, 6. 1926 Patented Jan. 17, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'WILLIAM L. CHILDS, GUY E. BEHNKE,.AND OSWALDDUDA, OF HOUSTO, TEXAS, AS-

SIGNORS TO REED ROLLER BIT COMPANY, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, A CORPORATION OF TEXAS.

DEEP-WELLDEILLING APPARATUS.

Application led December 6, 1926. Serial No. 152,947.

Our invention relatesl to the type of deep well drilling apparatusemploying sideroller cutters and cross rollers cutters intermediate the side cutters.

An objection exists to .apparatus of this type in which the cross roller cutter is of cylindrical form, owing to the fact that all parts `of said cross roller cutter do not have a true rolling action throughout its extent.

l0 In hard formations the scraping action in a substantially cylindrical cutter has a tendency to wear olf the teeth of the cutter sections. j

A further objection to.cross roller cutter bits is that in laminated formations, consisting of stratas of rock, and gumbo or sticky shale, the bit will become clogged, because no adequate means has been available to supply flushing fluid onto the bottom of the hole beneath the cross roller cutters. Consequently the sticky material at the bottom of the hole is not carried away, but on the contrary, the cross roller cutters roll up balls of this Sticky material, which collects between the cross roller cutter and the wall of the recess in which it works, causing the cross roller cutter to cease functionin prop.

`erly, and this is particularly true of t e central sections of said cross roller cutter.

One object of the present `invention is to overcome the above objections.

Another object is to employ large diameter side cutters, together with large diameter outer sections of the cross roller cutside roller cutters, so that both cutters, 1. e., the side roller cutters and said outer sections of the cross roller cutter, will have maximum cutting areas, and the said outer sections will have a maximum tendency to revolve in soft, as well as in hard formations. To this end also we employ a loose sleeve or bushing for the cross roller cutter. The cut, ters will revolve on this bushing and the bushing in turn will revolve on the bearing pin, and the revolution of any cross roller cutter sections will assist the other or others to revolve, should they tend ters properly proportioned to the size of the'l one of the to stick in soft formations, by transmitting motion through the revolublebushing or sleeve.

Other objects and features of the invenition will appear from the following descrip- Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional v iew of a drilling head, the plane of sect1on being through the side roller cutters. Fig. 2 1s a vertical central sectional view 1n a plane at right angles to Fig. 1 through 00 the cross roller cutter.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the apparatus. v

The bit head at itsV lower end has a recess, defined by inclined inner faces or walls 2, convergent upwardly and inwardly. From each of these inclined faces a stud or bear1ng 3 projects inwardly. This stud is formedintegrally with the bit head and its axis is radlal to the central vertical axis of the apparatus and inclines downwardly and inwardly. On this integral projection' is mounted a side roller cutter 4 of frustoconical form, with a bushing 5 interposed between said roller cutter and the bearing rojection. This bushing takes the wear.

t rs held against rotation on the bearing Erojection by a dowel 6 passing through the ase flange 7 of the bushing into a socket 8 lof the bit head. Communicatingwith this socket is the hole 9 leading to the outer side of the bit head through which any suitable implement may be inserted to knock out the dowel pin when the apparatus is to be dis mantled.

This bushing has its base {iange resting upon the inclined face 2 of the bit head, and 1t has a top or cover port-ion 5' which encloses or overlies the end of the bearing projectlon` 3. The frusto-conical cutter is held on this oushin by a ring nut 10, screw threaded upon t e slightly reduced inner end of the bushlng, said ring nut reaching out over the roller cutter into a recess 11 thereof, so that 95 the roller cutter is held between this nut and the base ange 7 of the bushing. Any suitable means may be employed for placing or removing the nut, such as a Spanner wrench, the nut being formed to receive this. The bushing has a smooth interior and it can be placed in position on the projection or removed therefrom by simply slipping it; onto or ott' trom the projection. When 1n place, the bushing is held on the bearing projection by a cross brace or bridge plate 12, which extends across the recess in the bottom ot the head and bears at its ends, upon the cover portions 5 ot' the bushings. The brid e piece is formed with upwardly and inward y inclined ends', so as to get a firm bearing contact with the bushings of considerable extent. The bridge piece is held in p osition by the bearing pin 13, which is supported at its ends in the depending sides 14, 14 of the head, being held at its ends in bearing openinws of the said sides by taper pins 15. A suitable bushing 16 may be interposed between the bearing pin and the bridge piece. This bridge piece, as shown in Fig. 2, is placed to one side ot' the vertical axial line ot the apparatus, the lett side of the bridge piece being in the plane of this axial line. This provides for spacing or locating roller cutters along this cross pin 13, which will cut the formation throughout the area at the bottom of the hole. At the right of this bridge piece, as shown in Fig. 2, is mounted a cylindrical cutter roller 17 'forming one section of the cross roller cutter, and to the right of this is the frusto-conical roller cutter 17 with a washer 18 interposed between it and the depending side 14 ot the bit head and dowelled at 18a to the latter. To the left of the bridge piece, as viewed in Fig. 2,

there are mounted on the cross-pin two4 cylindrical roller cutters 17, 17, and a terminal frusto-conical cutter 17d with a washer 18 interposed between the latter and the adjacentl wall of the bit head and dowelled at 18al to the latter. The cylindrical rollers 17 and 17b do not track, being located at different distances from the vertical axis of the apparatus, and hence the entire area at the bottom ot the hole will be acted on by the cutters. `he two roller cutters 17, 17l have interposed between them and the cross pin 13 a bushing 19 on which the are adapted to turn independently of eac other, and this bushing is loose on the cross pin so that it may turn thereon. Likewise the group of roller cutters 17", 17, 17d are mounted to rotate upon a bushing 19a common to them all and this `bushing is mounted on the cross pin, so that it may rotate thereon. These bushings 19 and 19? bear on the washers 18 at their outer end." and upn the central bushing 16 at their inner en a.

By reason of this arrangement, if either roller of either group tends to stick in soft formation, while another roller of that group "is rotating, the loose sleeve will be free to rotate by the frictional engagement of the rotating cutter therewith, and the rotation of the sleeve or bushing will tend to overcome the sticking of the other roller and make it rotate with the sleeve and the active roller cutter. These bushings being free to rotate, divide the wear between themselves and the roller cutters and the bearing pin. also prevent any accidental squeezing together ot the projection 14 from binding the cross roller cutters against rotation.

The side roller cutters 4, as shown in Fig.

1, cut the clearance around the bit head. 8l

They are of maximum diameter to provide as large a cutting area as possible. The end cross roller cutters 17, 17@l are frusto-conical in t'orm and they also are of large diameter and present a maximum cutting area for 8; 'working on the bottom of the hole. These frusto-conical cross roller sections or cutters cut an annular path within the diameter of the path cut by the side roller cutters and their larger or outer portions cut down to the 9| level of the bottom ot the annular channel cut by the side roller cutters. It will be noted that the large diameter end of the frusto-conical rollers 17u cut a path adjacent to the path cut by the smaller end ot' the 9| frusto-conical side Vcutters 4 and are at their outer portions of approximately the same diameter as the smaller diameter end of the said side cutters, thereby bearing the same ratio or relation to its distance from the ver l* tical axis otthe apparatus as the cutting area ot' the larger side roller cutters bear to their greater distance trom the vertical axis of the apparatus.

By this relation between the end sections 14 1T, 17d and the side roller cutters, substantially uniform wear takes place on these two set, ol cutters and it is not necessary to pull tht` apparatus from the vrell because of one set ot' roller cutters wearing materially 1;

paratus. 15

It will he noted al-o that with the relative diameters of the roller cutter sections of the cross roller cutter organization, the bottom of the hole will have a {rnesto-conical central portion or projection with the 1.

smaller end uppermost. The action ot the outside 'trustoconical cutters 17, 17" on the sides et this projection lett at the bottom of the hole, is. due to the wobble of the apparatus in the hole` to break down the mate i:

They 7i length of stem,'will have some lateral wob-l rial of this projection` by strikingit a suo .cession of blows distributed around its circumference. As is well known, the drill stem is somewhat flexible and the apparatus being at the lower end ot a considerable bling actionand it is this movement which enables the rusto-conical cutters 17, 17d to pound upon the central projection ot the formation at the bottom ot' the hole to break it down Without the trictional action usually the iiow ct' the iushing fluid, which is. distributed to the various cutters by the ports 20. The bridge iece 12 has a channel 21 with a downwar ly open mouth 22 for discharging the flushing tluid, received through the pipe 23, to the bottom o' the hole, said discharge taking place below the cross roller cutter and washing away the cuttings at this point, lwhile the ports supply flushing fluid on top of the rotary cutters tovkeep them clear.v This flushing system contributes largely to the successful operation of the apparatus in formations ot a stickynature, as well as in hard formations. Other water courses may be provided to play upon the bottom and outer edge of thehole, the water coming between the truste-conical cross rollers to further flush` the cuttings from the outer recess left by the side cutters.

The construction shown gives a liberal amount of clearance between the bit head and the bottom and side walls of the hole, this being greater than is usual.

The taperpins 15v for locking the cross pinv 13 in place give advantageous results over the use of set-screws usually Vemployed for this purpose` The latter become locked in the head either from rust orirom the strains and stresses that the material'of the i head is subjected to, and it has been found necessary-at Atimes to have the set screws drilled out. LThe taper. pins are not sub'ect to these objections, as they can be knoc ed out when desired. They also serve a pur-- pose in keeping the head from bending either inwardly or outwardly. The cross roller bearing pin 13 has an eccentric head 13L seated Lin the Adownward rojection of the bit head to hold said pin rom turning. We claim :l f 1. In combination in deep well drilling apparatus, a bit head having a recess in'its lower face defined :by upwardly and inwardly inclined walls with bearing projections on said walls inclining inwardly and downwardly towards the vertical axis of the apparatus, bushings on said projections, roller/.cutters on said bushin s, means for retaining the roller cutter on t e bushing, a

bridge piece extending across the recess of the head and bearing upon the bushings It? hold them on the projections, a cross roller cutter within the recess, and a bearing pin for said cross roller cutter having its opposite ends seated in downwardly extending projections of the bit head, passing through the said` bridge piece and holding the same in place, substantially as described.

2. In deep well drilling apparatus according to claim 1, in which the bushing has a flange at its outer side tobear on the wall of the'recess of the head, and having a ring nut screwed upon its inner end to hold the side roller cutter between itself and said liange, substantially as described.

3. Deep well drilling apparatus according to claim l in which the bushing has a cover or top portion extending over the end of the projection'an'd the bridge piece bears on said cover portion, substantially as described. l Y

4. In combination in deep well drilling apparatus, a head having a recess in its C lower face dclined by upwardly and inwardly inclined walls, side roller cutters 'of frusto-conical form mounted on said 1nclined Walls and of a diameter to cutclearanceffor the bit head, and a cross roller cutter in the recess, composed of cylindrical roller sections providing the central portion ot' said cross roller. cutter and frusto-conical cuter roller cutters of a diameter at their outer sides large than the diameter ot the cylindrical sections, and of approximately the same diameter as the smaller diameter ends of the frusto-conical side roller cutters, said outer sections of the cross roller cutter acting upon an annular path adjacent the inner edge of Athe path cut bythe side roller cutters, all ot said truste-conical cutters having their smaller ends facing the axis of the drill head and having a cutting area proportioned to the paths they are to cut, substantially as described. 4 i

5. Deep well drilling apparatus according to claim 1 in which the bridge piece has a channel extending about the cross roller bearing pin and with adischar e mouth be-A low said pin to discharge theushin fluid at a point at the lower part'of sai cross roller cutter, said bridge 'being connected by a water course at its upper side with the water course through the drill head, substantially as described.'4

6. Deep well drilling apparatus according to claim 1 in which the bridge` piece has a water course extending there-through from) top vto bottom and discharging the iushing fluid directly against the bottom' of the'hole at a point below the cross' bearing pin, substan'tially 'as described.

7. In combinatifn inl deep' |well drilling apparatus, a -head havingl .av recess in its lower face with a bearing pin extending across said recess with its ends seated in the will tend to rotate it through the free bush- Walls of said recess, roller cutters arranged ing, substantially as described;

on said'bearing pin, and a bushing inter- In testimony whereof, we aix our sgnal0 posed between said roller lcutters and the` tures.

' pin and free to turn on the latter, said roller WILLIAM L. CHILDS.

cutters being independentlyA revoluble on GUY E. BEHNKE.

q said bushing whereby if one sticks, the other OSWALD DUDA. 

